November 2, 2005

IT may have been only one more review among many, but when Michelin announced its first ratings for restaurants in New York City yesterday morning, superstar chefs and proprietors reacted with joyous tears, resignation and, in some cases, dismay. Four restaurants -- Alain Ducasse at the Essex House, Jean Georges, Le Bernardin and Per Se -- received the top ranking, three stars. But Daniel, long considered to be in the very top rank of New York's restaurants, had to settle for two, along with Masa, Bouley and Danube.

Sony releases its first high-profile DVD aimed at evangelical Christian audience; Left Behind: World at War, third in series about biblical end of days, has production budget close to $10 million, openly devout tone and missionary message; 3,200 churches showed film in October in exchange for modest licensing fee of about $100 per site; Sony president Benjamin Feingold disputes contention by producer Peter Lalonde, who has hired his own publicist, that studio is not promoting it adequately to religious market; photo (M)

Democrats Force Senate Into Closed Session Democrats forced the Republican-controlled Senate into an unusual closed session over the administration's use of intelligence to justify the Iraq war and the Senate's willingness to examine it. The move provoked a sharp public confrontation between the parties. PAGE A22 New Judge Is Ordered For the Trial of DeLay A Texas judge opposed by Representative Tom DeLay as a partisan Democrat was removed from hearing the congressman's money-laundering and conspiracy case after a courtroom battle over his impartiality. PAGE A18 SPECIAL TODAY Circuits/Digital Holidays Now that every big retailer sells electronics, every big retailer is scrambling to find a market niche. And why you may need to know more about someone to buy them a gadget than a sweater or tie. SECTION G Portrait Fetches $22.4 Million A portrait of a red-haired laundress by Toulouse-Lautrec sold at Christie's for $22.4 million, a record for that artist, as the fall auction season got under way. PAGE B2 Stars and Gripes Some chefs were thrilled and others less so when the first Michelin Guide to New York lauded 39 restaurants with stars, with four receiving the highest rating of three stars. DINING, PAGE F1 Royal Couple Visits U.S. Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited New York to start their first official foreign tour together. PAGE B1 A Low for U.S. Automakers Hurt by imports, General Motors, Ford and Chrysler held their lowest share of the American automobile market ever in October. PAGE C1 President Seeks Flu Money President Bush will ask for $7.1 billion to prepare the nation for an outbreak of deadly flu. PAGE A20

Article in occasional series Beyond Gasoline describes experiment in which Honda FCX, $1 million car powered by hydrogen fuel cells, is being test-driven by Jon and Sandy Spallino of Redondo Beach, Calif, under $500-a-month lease; Spallinos have had positive experience so far; FCX would have to overcome considerable obstacles if it is ever to become common on the road, not the least of which is getting the price down; photos (M)

Larry Brown has two sparkly championship rings, a Hall of Fame bust and a sterling résumé that covers three decades. His tortoise-shell spectacles and soft, fatherly countenance are as recognizable as any face in basketball. But when the Knicks named Brown as their coach in July, they hired more than the man and his legacy of success. They hired a mantra, a theme, a lofty ideal, a cause, a catchphrase.